346 The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



i. Elleborus albus vulgaris. White Ellebor or Neefing roote. 



The firfl great white Ellebor rifeth at the firfl out of the ground, with a whitifh 

 greene great round head, which growing vp, openeth it felfe into many goodly faire 

 large greene leaues, plaited or ribbed with eminent ribbes all along the leaues, com- 

 paffing one another at the bottome, in the middle whereof rifeth vp a flalke three foot 

 high or better, with diuers fuch like leaues thereon, but fmaller to the middle thereof; 

 from whence to the toppe it is diuided into many branches, hauing many fmall yel- 

 lowifh, or whitifh greene flar re-like flowers all along vpon them, which after turne 

 into fmall, long, three fquare whitifh feede, (landing naked, without any huske to con- 

 taine them, although fome haue written otherwife : the roote is thicke and reafonable 

 great at the head, hauing a number of great white firings running downe deepe into 

 the ground, whereby it is flrongly faftened. 



2. Ellebor us albus prcecox jiue atrorubente Jlore. 

 The early white Ellebor with reddifh flowers. 



This other Ellebor is very like the former, but that it fpringeth vp a moneth at the 

 leall before it, and that the leaues are not fully fo thicke or fo much plaited, but as large 

 or larger, and doe fooner perifh and fall away from the plant : the flalke hereof is as 

 high as the former, bearing fuch like flarry flowers, but of a darke or blackifh red co- 

 lour : the feede is like the other : the roote hath no fuch head as the other (fo farre as I 

 haue obferued, both by mine own and others plants) but hath many long white firings 

 faflened to the top, which is as it were a long bulbous fcaly head, out of which fpring 

 the leaues. 



The Place. 



The firfl groweth in many places of Germany, as alfo in fome parts of 

 Ruffia, in that aboundance, by the relation of that worthy, curious, and di- 

 ligent fearcher and preferuer of all natures rarities and varieties, my very 

 good friend, lohn Tradefcante, often heretofore remembred, that, as hee 

 faid, a good fhip might be loaden with the rootes hereof, which hee faw in 

 an Ifland there. 



The other likewife groweth in the vpland wooddy grounds of Germa- 

 nic, and other the parts thereabouts. 



The Time. 



The firfl fpringeth vp in the end or middle of March, and flowreth in 

 lune. The fecond fpringeth in February, but flowreth not vntill lune. 



The Names. 



The firfl is called Elleborus albus, or Helleborus albus, the letter H, as all 

 Schollers know, being but afpirationis nota : and Veratrum album Jlore viri- 

 dante, of fome Sanguis Herculis. The other is called Elleborus albus prcecox, 

 and Jlore atrorubente, or atropurpurante. We call the firfl in Englifh, White 

 Ellebor, Neefewort, or Neefing roote, becaufe the powder of the roote is 

 vfed to procure neefing; and I call it the greater, in regard of thofe in the 

 next Chapter. The other hath his name according to the Latine title, moll 

 proper for it. 



The Vertues. 



The force of purging is farre greater in the roote of this Ellebor, then in 

 the former; and therefore is not carelefly to bee vfed, without extreame 

 danger ; yet in contumatious and (lubborne difeafes it may bee vfed with 



good 



